Beautiful Tragedy

Fifty-four

                  Third Person POV

"Did your mother ever tell you about this place? About what it used to be?" Gaia questions leading the children to her quarters.

"She doesn't talk much about what it was like down here." Apollo says with a shrug.

She never did. The only things she would say was that it was as beautiful as it was dangerous. He just knew bad things had happened.

"Above us, the great city of Polis once stood." Gaia tells him. "The tower was home to many Commanders."

"What's Commanders?" Persephonie questions

"Aunt Tavia." Apollo tells her. "She's the commander of Wonkru."

"No," Gaia corrects him. "She is Blodreina, the Red Queen, leader of Wonkru.. " she says eyes trailing down to his bandages hand. "Only those with the blood can be commander."

The way she said only those with the blood could be commander, had Apollo tightening his hand around Persephonie's ready to bolt.

"Calm, child." Gaia says soothingly. "You have nothing to fear from me.. Your mother has a Trikova to watch over and keep her safe."

"Are you Trikova too?"

"No, I'm flemkepa, keeper of the flame. As it is Ashers duty to keep your mother safe, it is mine to protect the flame, and any nightblood child," she says before adding, "Like Madi."

Apollo stared at her intently, seeming to weigh his options. She seemed nice enough, he wasn't getting any bad feelings from her.

"May I see?" She asks gently, head tilting towards his bandaged hand.

Blowing out a small puff of air, he holds his hand between them. Giving the boy a small smile, Gaia slowly undoes the wrappings on his hand, and her breath catches in her throat.

The skin at the center of his palm was red and irritated, but it was the color of the dried blood on his skin that shocked her.

"Too much to be coincidence ." Gaia thinks to herself, looking from the boys hand to his eyes.

Nightbloods were rare, it's why the scouts where constantly looking for those with the blood. It was almost unheard of for a nightblood to give birth to another who would carry the blood.

"Tell me," Gaia says softly, wrapping his hand once more. "Is she like you?" She asks tilting her head to his sister, Apollo immediately shakes his no.

"The blood of the commanders flow through your veins, as they do your mother."

"Momma's commander!?" Persephonie squealed excitedly not really knowing what the word itself meant.

"Once, in another life she was." Gaia says looking between the Blake children. "Would you like to hear a story?"

Kayleigh POV

I remember laying down on top of the blankets spread across the floor. Persephonie cradled to my chest, Apollo at my back. My body was depleted, and I had nothing more left. I couldn't stay awake, no matter how hard I tired.

I knew something was wrong the moment I became aware again. The warm bodies of my children were missing, the blankets cold where they once laid. I didn't have to wait for the panic to set it, it was already there. I don't remember moving, only that I was already on my feet, looking around the inside of the tent even though I already knew they weren't there.